


The Night Before Prom

by Popples123



Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Haha sick tøp reference, High School, M/M, Mikey Way is stressed out, Platonic Soulmates, Prom, Ray Toro is a hero, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, The joetrick and frerard is only implied sorry, petekey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:23:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7664863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Popples123/pseuds/Popples123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mikey has fucked up big time. Like, big big time. He's left it until the night before prom.<br/>-<br/>A cute petekey promosal fic featuring Ray Toro being a Godsend, Mikey being a nervous wreck, and a simple orange flower that leads to Mikey figuring out exactly how Pete feels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Night Before Prom

**Author's Note:**

> This title sucks but I'm too sleepy to think of anything else so oh well. Feel free to recommend a better title if you can think of one.  
> Also, I edited this tonight between the hours of 2am and 7am while I was tired, so I apologize for any typos or mistakes that I missed.   
> Enjoy!! :-)

Mikey wants to punch Pete in the face.

Pete fucking Wentz and his stupid emo hair and his terrible eyeliner and his annoying as fuck personality and-

Okay, no. His hair suits him, his eyeliner is always applied perfectly, and he actually has the personality of a sweetheart. Mikey knows that.

What he doesn't understand is why a daft teenage crush has somehow managed to develop into the whole cliché head over heels in love stereotype that you're only supposed to see in those shitty high school movies. The thought of it makes him want to throw up and that may be because of the worry over never getting to resolve the inner conflict inside his head or just the anxiety of the fact that prom is two weeks away and he's nowhere near as close to asking Pete to go, but either way, this sucks. Each time he asks for advice, he's usually told, " _just tell him how you feel!_ " Which is no help whatsoever.

Mikey's friends aren't the least bit surprised when he goes to them for help about the prom situation. Frank and Bob laugh, Ray groans with annoyance (this is the third time this week Mikey has brought up the topic of Pete) and Gerard looks concerned.

"Michael James Way, you know the rule."

"Yeah, yeah," Mikey rolls his eyes and slumps down on one of the metallic chairs, ignoring the loud chatter from all the other students in the lunch hall. "No dating until you're dead, and I have to wait six days to make sure."

"Bingo!" Gerard flashes him a wide smile and rests his head on Frank's shoulder, his hand on Frank's thigh. Fucking hypocrite. Just because he's older...

Life wouldn't be half as bad if Mikey were crushing on someone he could  _have_. Like the pretty blonde pianist that talks to him about her favorite Marvel superheroes every time they cross paths, or that stoner kid, Zara or whatever her name is, who gives Gerard cigs for free. Gerard would have no problem with Mikey and Zara dating.

But no. Last year, Pete Wentz just  _had_  to saunter into Mikey's math class like he owned the place. No new kid had ever caught Mikey's attention before, so when Pete, clothed in a leather jacket and jeans that were  _way_ too tight (they were going to be the death of Mikey, honestly) sat down and immediately sprung into an in depth conversation about how algebra is useless to modern day society, Mikey accidentally made eye contact and he was fucked. Not literally, although he would let Pete do that if he wanted to. But the problem is that they're exact opposites of one another. While Mikey is shy and reserved and prefers to spend his nights in the basement with his brother drawing up ideas for a comic, Pete is outgoing and reckless and sometimes stays out as late as 3AM on school nights with his friends.

It's not like Pete and Mikey aren't friends - they're extremely close and talk all the time. It's just that Mikey doesn't know what team Pete swings for. Sexuality isn't an everyday topic brought up in their friendship circles and Mikey is too scared to ask, so if he were to succumb to his feelings and confront Pete, there's a chance that he is straight and that'd be really embarrassing for both of them.

"I knew he had a crush on Pete," Frank says smugly, sipping on his can of coke. "I've known it all along. Fucking  _knew_  it."

"Nobody cares whether you knew it or not. I've told you a million times this week!" Mikey sighs exasperatedly and folds his arms over his chest. "Just tell me what to do because I have no idea how to get him to come to prom with me!" He huffs impatiently and it dawns on him just how many people are in the lunch hall. Hopefully nobody hears him because the last thing he needs is rumours flying around that he's in love with one of his best friends.

Yes, Mikey would go as far as saying he's in love with Pete.

No, he's not going to do anything about it.

"Alright.... alright, listen up." Bob clears his throat and stops texting for once in his life, placing his cell phone face down on the table. "I'm gonna lay it out to you nice and simple." Mikey is glad that unlike his other friends, Bob seems to be taking the dilemma seriously. "I suggest you wing it and do the usual thing most people do." Mikey shoots him a blank stare. "Y'know, waiting until the time feels right?"

"Oh."

"Yeah," Bob continues. "I'm sure he'll say yes 'cause judging by the way he acts around you and how he looks at you, he's totally into you. I mean, you two have hugged more in the past year than I've hugged my mom my whole life!" He's exaggerating but Mikey wouldn't be surprised if that turns out to be true. Still, it's not a crime to be affectionate with your friends, right? Although Bob can argue that Mikey doesn't treat anyone else like that.

"Bob, it's not illegal to hug someone."

"Shut the fuck up, Mikey. You're interrupting my valuable advice," Bob says.

"Hey!" Gerard raises his head from Frank's shoulder and slaps Bob across the back of his head. "That's my brother you're talking to!"

Mikey gestures for Gerard to be quiet because he needs all the advice he can get. Bob leans forwards and chews on the lid of a pen. "Don't plan anything big. You know Pete hates stuff like that." Mikey nods in agreement to show that he's paying attention. "Just take him out to the cinema or something and ask him whenever you feel like it's the ideal time."

"What he said," Ray pitches into the conversation and flaps his arm in Bob's general direction, slamming an empty bottle of energy juice down on the table. "That tasted disgusting." He fakes gagging dramatically and Gerard laughs.

"Thanks Bob, you're the best." Mikey flings his arms around his smaller friend and pulls him into a quick bro-hug, nothing like the hugs he and Pete exchange regularly.

Frank has his mouth open like he's taken strong offence to something and his eyebrows furrow together. "Uh, what about me?"

"Fuck off, you were no help," Mikey says, adding a laugh at the end to assure Frank that he's only joking.

"Oh, speak of the devil. Here comes Wentz," Ray informs Mikey and sighs, leaning back and hitting the plastic bottle off the edge of the table. He's bored out of his mind with all this talk about Pete. He misses the days where they talked about interesting things, like movies or  _girls_.

An uneasy feeling settles in Mikey's stomach and he thinks it's butterflies but it's more likely paranoia at the thought of physically having to ask Pete to prom. Rehearsing it in a mirror is totally different from saying it to his face. Joe Trohman follows close behind Pete and Ray's eyes light up at the sight of him because fucking  _finally_ , someone who will be willing to talk about guitar is here.

"Hi," Pete says, waving a hand in front of Mikey's face to snap him out of his trance. He smiles timidly as he watches Pete sit down next to Frank. "Ugh, that physics test was the definition of hell."

"I'm sure you did fine. Bet you got full marks." Everyone can sense the doubt in Joe's words. Pete is  _terrible_  at physics and nobody in the entire world expects him to pass the final exam. In an attempt to comfort Pete, Mikey hugs him tightly. They don't notice Bob exchanging a suspicious glance with Frank.

Mikey attempts to talk to Pete but he can feel Bob's eyes watching him and no, he'd much rather do this in private where they're alone, so that the others won't need to witness Pete rejecting him and leaving him to cry for a solid three hours.

Everyone at the table understands when Mikey politely tells them that he wants to have a private chat with Pete. Right before Mikey and Pete get the chance to leave, Ray yells loudly, "Wait! Mikey!"

Mikey turns around, raising an eyebrow at Ray. What does he want?

"Remember: don't you  _dare_  leave it until the night before."

-

Okay, Mikey has fucked up big time. Like,  _big_  big time. He's left it until the night before prom. Ray's warning meant jack shit because no matter how many times someone reminded Mikey to ask Pete, he was always too scared to actually do it. He didn't intend for this to happen but the idea of asking a hot popular guy to come to prom with him isn't something he's confident about doing and it could potentially ruin a perfectly good friendship, so he's been procrastinating his nights away reading books and drawing. The fact that prom is twenty-four hours away didn't even occur to him until he receives a text from Frank that reads  _how'd everything go? Did Wentz say yes?_

"Shit!" Mikey shouts so loudly that Gerard stirs in his sleep, lazily opens one eye, and glares at him.

"Shut the fuck up, it's too early."

"Gerard, it's two o'clock in the afternoon."

"Exactly."

Mikey paces back and forth in the bedroom as Gerard sleeps, oblivious to the disaster that is his little brother's life. How did he manage to leave it until this late? How can he possibly ask Pete  _now_?

The text message is ignored and Mikey sluggishly walks into the kitchen. When you find yourself in times of trouble, what do you do? Make cereal, apparently. That's all Mikey does whenever he's balls deep in a crisis.

Two hours pass before Mikey conjures up a way to solve the problem. In the end, he phones Ray and explains everything. After a huge lecture about leaving it until the night before, he says that if Pete is free tonight, Mikey should take him somewhere. That seems like a good plan. The worst thing that could happen is Pete says no and if that is the case, Mikey will just ditch him, get a taxi home, and sleep for a decade. Maybe two, depending how bad the outcome is.

Luckily, Pete  _is_  free and he's more than willing to hang out with Mikey - "Hell yeah, dude! We don't see each other enough!" - and Mikey formulates a lie about going to an old friend's house so Gerard won't get suspicious. If he finds out Mikey still hasn't asked Pete, he'll throw a fit.

"Why are you dressed up all fancy?" Gerard asks when Mikey appears in the living room wearing black skinny jeans and a grey shirt with a tie to match his jeans. Who the fuck wears a tie when meeting up with an old friend?

"I want to look presentable," Mikey lies and quickly steals a fifty-dollar bill from the glass jar on the mantelpiece when Gerard isn't paying attention. "Stop judging me."

"I'm not." Gerard throws his hands above his head defensively and doesn't say anything as Mikey rolls his eyes. He watches his little brother staring in the mirror and ruffling his hair, patting it down, and then messing it back up. "Mikey, you look fine."

"Thanks." Gerard can tell from the tone of voice Mikey uses that he doesn't believe it, but before Gerard can convince him that he  _does_  look okay, Mikey leaves and Gerard can hear the back door shut loudly.

Mikey and Pete decided to meet at the park half an hour away from the city. It takes Mikey fifteen minutes to get there and although he mostly ran (he hoped he'd arrive first), he can see Pete standing against the lamppost in the distance and  _shit_ , how long has he been here for? Is Mikey too late? Has he been waiting long? What if he's mad?

He doesn't notice Mikey standing next to him so Mikey clears his throat and cringes when he stutters. "H-Hi Pete."

"Oh, hey," Pete says, smiling up at Mikey and his heart skips a beat because Pete has one of the most attractive smiles in the world. No exaggeration. He blushes and stares at the ground when Pete starts checking him out, not even trying to be subtle. "I've never seen you wear a tie before."

"Really?" Mikey flips his hair out of his eyes and rests his back against the fence, which is cold despite the warm weather.

"Yeah, apart from one time last year when you were at a party." Mikey doesn't remember being at a party last year, but then again, he doesn't remember a lot of things, so he'll take Pete's word for this. "You're all prettied up. Makes me feel dressed down," Pete jokes and Mikey just apologizes sheepishly and wonders if this tie was a bad idea.

As expected, there's an unbearably awkward silence shared between them for far too long, until Pete tugs Mikey's wrist and beckons him forward. They walk in silence and Mikey keeps squeezing his eyes shut, cringing at how stupid this all is, until Pete speaks up again.

"Where are we going?"

Mikey stops dead in his tracks because he didn't think that through, despite being the one who came up with the idea to go out in the first place. "Uh... the city, I guess?"

"Sounds cool. We'll need to take a bus 'cause I figured there was no point in taking my motorcycle" Pete flashes him another smile and Mikey tries to keep his breathing under control as they make their way to the nearest bus stop. The next bus isn't due for another five minutes and Pete's mother conveniently chooses that time to call him, so he excuses himself and stands at the other side of the shelter, leaving Mikey to his own devices.

He decides to phone Ray again.

"What is it?" Ray picks up after the third ring and he knows that Mikey must have a problem.

"Ray, fucking help me, man. He's so hot and I'm so painfully obvious about how nervous I am and I have no idea how to ask him! He's wearing a  _leather jacket_!"

"All right, calm down you fucking teenage girl," Ray sighs. "What did we all tell you before?" There's a long pause and he soon takes the hint that Mikey isn't going to answer. "We told you to ask him if the time feels right. Now, don't shoot into it. Things like this take time. It's still daylight outside. I say wait until the sun starts going down. That way, you have time to prepare. Also,  _please_  don't be spontaneous about it. You know he hates it when people are spontaneous."

"Yes, Ray, I know," Mikey groans. He feels like he's talking to his mom. "I'm going to go, our bus is coming. Bye."

"See yo-." Mikey hangs up before Ray can finish his sentence and runs over to Pete.

"Hi, sorry. My friend called me. Crazy coincidence, huh?" He stammers all in one breath and Pete just laughs.

"Yeah. Crazy." He won't stop staring at Mikey and it's making the younger male a little uneasy. "Anyways, the bus is here."

"Okay," Mikey says and the second Pete turns around, he punches himself in the wrist for being stupid and then winces at the pain. He hopes Pete didn't hear him.

The bus is warmer than the weather outside and Mikey just sucks it up and deals with it, but of course Pete has to take off his jacket, leaving him clothed in nothing but a loose tank top and tight skinny jeans. Mikey is going to fucking  _die_. Tonight will be a long night.

-

Somehow, their desire for food lands them in the middle of a fancy restaurant and if Pete was smart enough, he'd know by now that Mikey clearly doesn't want to just hang out. Fortunately for Mikey, Pete  _isn't_  smart enough, so in his eyes this is only some quality time with a good friend he doesn't get the chance to see often outside of school.

"I have a fake ID," Pete says and Mikey wonders why he'd take a fake ID with him. "Lets buy wine."

"Lets not," Mikey interjects because he can get drunk far too easily and that wouldn't end well in terms of asking Pete to come to prom with him. Luckily, that's when Pete decides that instead, he wants to buy some weird-looking ice cream with a name too long for Mikey to pay attention to. In any other circumstances, Mikey would offer to pay for it, but when he finds out it's nearly $16 he sits back and lets Pete take one for the team.

Pete is the slowest eater in the whole world, Mikey realises, because if he thought Pete took his time eating the main course then he was no where near ready for the amount of time it takes Pete to finish the ice cream. He's only a quarter of the way into it when half an hour passes.

Mikey's phone bleeps and Ray's name flashes across the screen. It's a text message that simply says,  _Update?_  and Mikey uses that as an excuse to go stand outside and pretend like his mom needs help with restarting the wifi router. Pete believes him.

Mikey squeezes past people, almost knocking over a toddler, and then he's finally in the foyer where he can hopefully clear his head. Pete is attractive enough on his own. Him sitting there in a tank top eating ice cream is only making it ten times more noticeable and it isn't helping Mikey's nerves at all.

_Ray, I'm going to fucking DIE._

Mikey doesn't even get to exit the app when Ray texts back,  _why?_

_He's wearing a fucking TANK TOP and he's eating ice cream. I am deadass going to kill myself. How am I supposed to ask him??_

There's a large pause and Mikey thinks Ray is typing out a long reply, but then the phone rings, which nearly gives him a heart attack. "Ray! What the hell?"

"I swear to God, stop texting me about how hot your eye candy is. If you're not going to ask him, get a taxi home. I cancelled all my plans with my nephew today so I can sit in my bedroom with the curtains drawn and the heater on in order to help you. Return the damn favour by asking him so my time isn't wasted."

"I... uh... I never asked you to do that," Mikey says hesitantly and toys nervously with the sleeve of his shirt. "Sorry, man. I'm just feeling really freaked out about it, like... I don't want to ruin what we have, if you get me?"

"I was joking," Ray laughs and Mikey forces out a bit of laughter too, although he isn't sure what he's supposed to be finding funny. "And yes, I get you. Where are you right now?"

"In some restaurant in the city. He's taking ages eating dessert and I'm in the foyer talking to you."

Ray proceeds to say pretty much the same thing he's been telling Mikey all week - "ask him when it feels right." That's not really helpful, though, because nothing feels right to Mikey except the idea of buying a one-way ticket to Mexico so he can avoid all of this.

Mikey plans to ask Ray for more advice but then he notices Pete walking in his direction and he hangs up the phone without saying goodbye. "Hey Pete. Enjoy that?"

"Yeah, it was fucking delicious." Pete seems happy and that makes Mikey smile. "You should smile more often. It's cute."

Mikey turns around and motions for Pete to follow him, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks and neck. He always gets a little flattered when people compliment his smile but the compliment coming from Pete makes Mikey feel a whole other level of flustered.

Their next stop ends up being the coffee shop, where they both buy some hot chocolate because it's starting to get colder. Then Pete suggests they go to the park and chill for a bit, and Mikey doesn't object because anything Pete wants to do sounds good. He's one of those people that could suggest  _studying_ as a pastime and Mikey would be down for it because Pete somehow makes everything seem fun.

Walking through the park is good at first, until the harrowing realisation dawns on Mikey that he still has no idea how to ask Pete to come to prom with him. By the time the pair of friends reach the swingset, which is occupied by a group of obnoxious pre-teen boys, Mikey's head is swimming in a pool of anxiety and doubts.

It takes Pete a total of seven seconds to clear the young boys away from the swings. He does so by slowly walking over, giving them enough time to take in his rather unusual 'emo' appearance that usually freaks kids out, and the second Pete says the word "move" in a stern voice, the boys are up and away in a flash. Mikey smiles.

"Care to swing, Mikeyway?"

And that's how the pair of friends end up having a competition of who can swing the highest in the middle of a park at nine o'clock at night.

Pete wins every time and Mikey resents him for that, but it's hard to stay mad when Pete is also laughing and rambling on about stupid things and looking at Mikey like he's the most beautiful person on Earth.

The time finally feels right.

"How do you ask someone to prom?" Mikey blurts out before he can stop himself and Pete abruptly stops swinging so he can stare at Mikey with a confused expression.

"Dude, prom is tomorrow. You're telling me you haven't asked someone?"

"You're telling me you  _have_ asked someone?" Mikey mimics Pete's shocked tone of voice.

"He said no." Pete shrugs, and Mikey makes a mental note of the fact that the pronoun used in that sentence was 'he'.

Silence falls for a few prolonged seconds before Mikey finally conjures up the courage to repeat his first question. "How do you ask someone to prom?"

Instead of what everyone has been telling Mikey for the past few weeks -  _wait until the time feels right_ \- Pete takes a different, more helpful approach. He stands up, instructs Mikey to do the same, and then leads him over to a park bench. Once they're both seated, Pete starts to talk.

"First of all, you're a fucking idiot for leaving it until the night before. Who  _does_ that? You're crazy. Second of all, she'd probably appreciate it if you're just honest with your feelings. None of that bullshit 'wait until it feels right', 'wait until she makes the first move' or whatever. Be spontaneous. Even if it's a spur if the moment decision. The second you get a chance, ask her."

_She. Her._

"I'm presuming you know her?" Pete raises an eyebrow and Mikey just nods, too scared to correct Pete on the gender. "Right, are you two close?" Another nod. "Okay, okay, so that could make it easier. Still, it could be harder. You're risking destroying a friendship if she says no."

Mikey nearly throws up after that statement. If he killed his and Pete's bond, he'd have no idea what to do.

"Just - I don't know man. Just treat her like a princess and she'll probably like you anyway. You don't have to date someone in order to take them to prom. Gabe is only a friend but he said no 'cause apparently it's 'gay' to go to prom with a male friend, so I asked Patrick to come with me instead and he was going to, but then he somehow got fucking  _Joe Trohman_ to go with him."

Mikey sits back slightly and looks at Pete like he's insane. "Patrick got  _Joe_ to say yes to prom?" 

Pete's eyes only grow wider and he continues. "As a  _date_."

"Patrick is  _dating_ Joe Trohman?" Pete frantically nods in response, his eyes so wide he looks like he's on drugs, and Mikey can't help but laugh. "That's proof that anything is possible. If he of all people can get with Joe, I could probably become the fucking president."

"Exactly, dude!  _Nobody_ gets with Joe. I'm convinced Rick sold his soul."

After a couple of laughs and another comment about soul-selling, Pete grabs Mikey's wrist and tugs him to his feet. "Listen, if Patrick and Joe can get together then there is nothing stopping you from asking this girl. In fact, you know what? I'm taking you home and I'll help you ask her. Why the hell are you out with me if you've got to ask the girl you're wanting to take to prom if she's willing to come? You, Mikey Way, are fucking insane." Pete concludes his sentence with a slap to Mikey's back and before he knows it, he's back at the bus stop.

On the bus, the pair sit near the back, huddled against each other for body heat because it started raining moments before they got on the bus. Mikey seeks refuge in Pete's arms and he's half asleep before the bus has managed to reach it's next bus stop.

"Pete?" He murmurs softly and Pete hums in reply. "What would be your ideal promposal?"

"Flowers and kisses," Pete says simply and Mikey groans out loud before he can stop himself because he doesn't have any flowers and he's a terrible kisser. "Something wrong?"

"I'm cold," Mikey says far too quickly and Pete knows he's lying, but he doesn't question him further.

The bus journey seems to go on forever but not much time has actually passed before they're both on Pete's doorstep. Mikey insisted on coming with him, partly because Pete would have been cutting through dark alleys on his own at 10pm in a dangerous area and partly because he kind of needs to be with Pete in order to ask him to prom.

It should only take about seven steps for them to get off the sidewalk and into Pete's hallway but because of the pace Mikey is walking at, he's taken about fifteen baby steps and he's not even halfway up the path. Pete isn't suspicious and goes with it, stopping every couple of seconds and watching his friend. "Dude, I get that you're nervous about asking her but it's, like, really cold. Can we, you know, get  _inside_?"

Mikey just stares at Pete, gulps, and shakes his head.

"We can't go inside? Why? Mikey, my skin is turning to ice."

"She's a boy," Mikey stammers and squeezes his eyes shut the second he finishes because that made absolutely no sense.

"Who? The girl you're asking? 'She's a boy', what is that supposed to mean? He or she? Are, uh, they transgender or something? Who's a boy? What-."

"Pete, slow down." Mikey presses both his hands flat against Pete's chest to silence him. "The person I want to ask is a guy." 

The confused expression on Pete's face remains and just as Mikey thinks he's going to have to launch into a huge explanation on his sexuality, Pete's eyes suddenly light up and he lets out a, "ohhh, I get you. Okay, cool." He shrugs, accepting as always. "I'm still here to help."

He turns and goes inside, probably to tell his mom that he's home, and Mikey stands frozen to the spot, tempted to turn around and run.

_Flowers and kisses. Flowers and kisses. Flowers and kisses._

Where can Mikey get flowers at this time of night? Should he just go for it and kiss Pete despite having never kissed someone before? Should he just go home and live with the regret for the rest of his life? The latter option is way more appealing but before he can make his final decision, Pete returns, this time wearing a raincoat.

"Get inside, it's freezing," he says, his voice unintentionally soft and Mikey wants to cry. He hasn't felt this anxious since the time his parents discovered cigarettes in his room two years ago.

"Okay." His voice comes out as a whisper and he slowly makes his way up the path, his heart beat accelerating as he gets closer to Pete, who's standing there completely oblivious to the emotional turmoil that's going on inside his friend's head.

Once Mikey is about five steps away from the doorway, Pete turns around and goes into the hallway, expecting Mikey to follow. When he hears what sounds like someone fumbling with a hedge, he turns back around and sees Mikey still outside, with his hands behind his back and a scared look in his wide eyes.

"Mikey, are you okay?"

"Shut up," Mikey says bluntly and Pete closes his mouth, frowning slightly. "I really like you 'nd I have for a long time and I just didn't know how to tell you and I don't know how to say sweet things about someone but you're really cool and really hot and I think I'm in love with you and not even in the - don't open your mouth! Let me finish! I think I'm in love with you and not in the dumb crushing-on-someone way, I genuinely believe I'm in love with you as in the whole cliche head-over-heels dreamy romantic way, 'nd I want you to come to prom with me and if you don't want to then it's okay I'll just go home and never show face again but-"

"Oh my  _God_ shut up," Pete cuts Mikey off and the younger starts to panic until Pete steps forward. "You talk too much," he says, smiling slightly, and in the dim glow of the streetlights, Mikey can see his cheeks are bright red. "Of course I'll go with you. I'm in love with you too, you fucking idiot. I have been since I first walked into that class and saw you sitting there looking all cute and innocent. I just didn't want to tell you 'cause you seemed straight."

Mikey laughs at that and Pete does too, and then Mikey reveals what was hidden behind his back. A orange flower, drenched by the rain but still pretty, just like Pete. "Uh, you wanted flowers. so."

Pete smirks, amused as he takes the plant from Mikey. "Did you..." He trails off and scans his eyes around the yard until he sees the collection of orange flowers not far from where they're standing. "Mikey, did you take this from my garden?"

"I-uh, yeah, I'm sorry, I thought-"

"God, you're so stupid." Somehow, the words are laced with affection, and Pete stands on his tiptoes to kiss Mikey, who freezes at the contact. Pete pulls back. "You okay?"

"I-I've never kissed someone before," he admits shyly, staring at the ground.

Pete's smile only grows larger at the knowledge that he's Mikey's first kiss. "Relax and go with it," he says softly and kisses Mikey again, holding his face with one hand and his lower back with the other hand in an attempt to ground him, because he's shaking badly at the anxiety of all this. Pete takes the lead, telling Mikey what to do. It's terrible and messy and has more teeth than tongue, but it's also Mikey, and that makes it perfect. Soon, it gets to the point where Mikey has given up and is content with simply standing there, his lips slightly parted, allowing Pete to bite and tug and lick and whatever else he wants to do. Once he's bored with that, he pulls back and trails his mouth down Mikey's neck, intent on leaving a hickey or two. Or ten.

When Mikey drops his head onto Pete's shoulder and whines softly at the contact, that's when Pete decides to stop. Mikey hates him for it but it's a good idea in the long run, because it means nobody's getting turned on.

"That was nice." Mikey's lips are a little swollen and his voice is breathless as he stares down at Pete. Pete hasn't ever seen Mikey smile this much. It's something he can definitely get used to seeing. "You need to teach me how to kiss better."

Pete hums in approval. "That's a subject I could tutor no problem, especially if you're my student."

Mikey giggles and Pete nearly dies at hearing the sound - uncontrollably happy Mikey is something he loves more than anything - and then Mikey stares at the ground again, blushing like mad.

"So, uh... prom, yeah?"

"Yeah." Pete punctuates his sentence with a gentle peck to Mikey's cheek, before taking his hand and inviting him inside out of the rain, demanding he spend the night. Mikey agrees to it and calls his parents, relieved when they allow it.

Upstairs, Mikey sits on the floor clad in a pair of Pete's pyjamas, and Pete is knelt beside him, scrolling through his contacts and texting every single person, including the pizza delivery guy, to tell them that Mikey is coming to prom with him. Mikey watches, curled into Pete's side and half asleep. He's so comfy that he nearly cries when Pete moves away.

"Where are you going?"

"Just doing one last thing before lights out," Pete says and Mikey sighs happily at the thought of sleep.

Pete crawls over to a box under his desk and he takes out a slightly worn out diary. Mikey watches silently as Pete flicks through the pages with a focused expression on his face, until he stops at two pages. There, he places the orange flower Mikey gave him onto one page, and then closes the diary. Mikey doesn't bother asking the reason behind it.

Well, until it's well past 3am and Pete is out cold snuggled up against Mikey. That's when Mikey becomes curious, and he can't go himself when he prises himself away from Pete's arms and gets out the bed. He goes over to the box and picks up the diary, opening it at the page in which the flower is pressed into.

He switches on the desk lamp so he can read Pete's handwriting, which is abnormally neat for someone who usually writes so messily. Scrawled on the pages is an entry which dates back three months ago, and Mikey doesn't understand why Pete would choose this particular space in the diary until he starts reading what's written.

_Michael James Way is my best friend, my partner in crime, my sweet little dude, and above all, he's my soulmate. I know that for a fact. Platonic or romantic, it doesn't matter. Soulmates should never have to put a label on what bond they share. 'Soulmates' isn't about romance. A soulmate is someone you click with on a level that exceeds all your previous friendships and relationships. A soulmate is the person who you can talk to about nothing and everything, and the person you can tell anything, no matter how stupid or serious. A soulmate is someone who you can talk to everyday, but also someone who you can go for weeks without speaking to and still be able to pick up where you left off. A soulmate listens to you even when they can't help. Soulmates make it through drama and fights and heartbreak and whatever else is thrown at them. Soulmates are built on trust and love and unbreakable bonds. A soulmate is your safety blanket, your home, your anchor, your reason for living. The bond shared between soulmates is the strongest force imaginable and to act like a romantic relationship is required is so delusional that it's pathetic. Fuck the idea that soulmates need to be romantic. Platonic soulmates are just as strong because in the end, it all comes down to the bond shared between us. Whether or not Mikey and I will date in the future, I don't know, but regardless, I do know that we are soulmates and that we are made for each other, in this universe and in every one before and after. So, here I am, writing this for him, yet also hoping that he'll never read it. Pressed between these pages one day will be a reminder of what Mikey and I have. I am clueless as to what the reminder will be, but I'm sure that one day I'll make the right choice in what to put here. All I know is that it'll be perfect. Something perfect for the most perfect boy in the world._

That was so cliche it was borderline disgusting but still, Mikey finds his eyes tearing up at the words on the paper. Since when has he ever meant this much to Pete? Sure, they're inseparable best friends, but Mikey had no idea Pete  _wrote_ about him. It kind of makes him want to flick through the rest of the diary to see if he pops up again, but decides against it because that'd be a huge invasion of Pete's privacy. All of this is causing Mikey to regret all the times over the past year where he ignored his friends telling him to just confess his feelings to Pete already.

He gently lays the flower from the garden back on the page and closes the book, placing it back in the box. Then, he shakily climbs into bed and stares at Pete. Now that they're technically dating, he doesn't feel creepy for watching Pete sleep.

Unfortunately, he must've not been as silent as he hoped when he got back into bed, because Pete's eyes slowly open and Mikey doesn't have time to look away. "Why're you up, Mikey?" Pete's voice is groggy and slurred, which shouldn't be attractive, but it makes Mikey smile regardless.

"Do you really think we're soulmates?" Mikey asks his own question and Pete frowns for a second before understanding, and he covers his face before Mikey can see him blushing.

"Fuck, I knew you would read that sooner or later." He's smiling and acting slightly embarrassed, and Mikey just laughs as he rolls onto his tummy, allowing Pete to lay an arm across his back.

"Do you, Pete?"

"Do you?"

Mikey rolls his eyes at the fact that both of them are avoiding each other's questions, and he sighs contently as he lets his hand rest on Pete's upper waist. "Yeah, I do."

"I do too," Pete says, and Mikey is about to make a joke about how this seems like it's straight out of a shitty romantic film, but then Pete mumbles, "This conversation is far too gay to be happening at four o'clock in the fucking morning." and Mikey just nods in agreement, his eyes already slipping shut. Both of them are out cold within the next five minutes.

The next morning, Mikey calls Ray and rambles on and on and on about last night's events, while Pete sits in the corner leaning against the wall and scribbling away in his notebook, occasionally glancing up at Mikey from time to time. Mikey has a funny feeling that he's the subject of today's entry.

When he checks the notebook later that night, just before they leave from prom, he finds out that he was right. This time, it's a sappy rant about how cute he is, and Mikey is blushing so much by the time he finishes reading it. Then, he flicks back to what he read last night. The flower is still there, slightly more crushed and only just beginning to wilt. It makes his heart feel warm, and that sensation grows larger when he walks downstairs and is met with Pete kissing him on the lips.

"Still room for improvement," Pete jokes and Mikey pouts, playfully swatting his arm.

"Well, we do have all night, you dick."

Pete laughs loudly at that. "God, I love you."

Mikey feels like he's going to explode with how much happiness he's experiencing right now. He replies, "I love you too," and for the first time, he initiates a kiss.

They leave the house hand in hand. Mikey doesn't know if they're friends or boyfriends or something in between, but he does know that Pete was right when he said that it doesn't matter. It's all about the bond they have, and theirs is unbreakable. Even after years and years have passed, and the orange flower tucked away in Pete's diary has eventually wilted away into nothing, Mikey knows that his and Pete's bond will still be just as strong as it is today. They are soulmates, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact the original and incomplete draft of this was written over a year ago and was originally a jalex oneshot, but I found it in my junk drawer a few months ago so I changed it to petekey, edited it, finished it, and now here I am.  
> The promposal was based off something that happened in a theatre production I did a couple of years ago. The first kiss was based off my own one, and I was Mikey in the situation. I'm still embarrassed.
> 
> I plan on rewriting this soon 'cause there's stuff I want to add but until then, this is as good as it gets.  
> Feedback is appreciated as always!! :-)


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